Kanj

MYM captain, awesome stuff. Really like that.

No doubt can he cover tons of ground and he does have great stamina, I just don't see him performing the same way in a role that would require him to cover a ton of space. The role I've marked him for is literally that deep playmaker's role where he's the first to get the ball out the back and has enough range and ability to get it forward quickly and accurately. I'd rather he be more central sort of pulling strings than be in a more demanding position that requires PACE more than just stamina. If we were to overload 1 side and the defense were to counter, Cabaye's been guilty of niggling or late fouls as he tries to get back into position. Instead, I'd see Anita or Sissoko using their pace and athleticism to cover the ground quicker than Yohan could. More or less, Cabaye in the role of Anita/Sissoko would waste his energy.

I wouldn't call Marv or HBA "wide" in that system, they are free to roam about the attacking side of the pitch finding space naturally and looking to create. Also, I'd probably change Cabaye and Anita and let Cabaye sit and distribute the ball as he pleases. He doesn't have the legs to cover space like Anita and Sissoko can with their pace and athleticism. This doesn't mean one sits as a DM or one plays attacking either, this is a simple 3 man midfield letting the 3 do their best to cover/attack/and defend. -------------------Krul---------------------- Deb-----Yanga---------Colo-------Santon -------Anita----Cabaye----Sissoko------- ---HBA------------------------------Marv--- -------------------Cisse---------------------

Marv looked 100% arsed towards the end of last season, but his frustration with not being selected so many times probably had a ton to do with it. Which you can or can't fault a player for. They should want to be on the pitch at all times. I just point to that Stoke match where he absolutely changed the match, and I still feel with the right tactics, you let him and Ben Arfa roam about the pitch to create havoc. A defender would be shit scared of having to deal with both of them on the pitch for a full match.

Imagine if we finally have a team that's fit to play 90 f***ing minutes of football and not patter out at the 70 minute mark and a team that doesn't get absolutely decimated by niggling muscle injuries every other week.

-------------------Krul---------------------- Deb-----Yanga---------Colo-------Santon -------Cabaye----Anita----Sissoko------- ---HBA------------------------------Marv--- -------------------Cisse--------------------- Ancelotti style system - See Marv thread.

Awesome

Shit did I just describe the Ancelotti system then?

Cool just wondering

Asking for opinions here...but if we were to allow Marv and HBA to drift and roam about behind Cisse with a strong CM(s) partnership of Cabaye, Sissoko and one of Tiote/Anita and then have Santon and Debuchy as backs overlapping wide, could we not be OK with that? This assumes Mapou and Colo at CB allowing Mapou to use his pace to cover some of the space left when one of the backs are far up the pitch. I know a ton of what-ifs here, but to me that seems like one of our better options. I guess the rebuttal is AP wouldn't be able to create or implement a fluid system like this.

I seriously hope this is Sylvain's time to finally prove his fitness, not that he's got anything in his locker to suggest he will be fit this season. His skillset is vital for our creation of chances, and his left foot is fucking brilliant. He's a first 11 player for me until we sign someone better/more reliable to play in attacking CM's role.

He's a real classy player who should be given the ACM role in our team. Give him license to get around the pitch and create at will. He's a lovely dribbler and his decision making with the ball is excellent, and also - get him some chances to get that left peg a chance to strike at goal. He has a great left foot that could be worth 5-8 goals a season if he was on the pitch more. In an ideal world I'd have Sylvain and HBA given free reign to roam about the pitch and create and punish defenses with their dribbling, passing, and deadly left foots.

Agree with this. Best may not be a 15-20 goal a season type player, but he would sure make his strike partner one. Selfless, strong, clever and a good striker of the ball with that left peg of his. He's a different player to Gouffran, so I'd not compare the two - but we sorely miss someone like Leon who I still rate very highly. Obviously.

Totally underrated by so many out there - he had some real tricky feet and was strong too.

Worst tattoo ever

Leon's hat trick that first start he had for us that night was fucking brilliant, chills down spine type performance from him. Miss the fella so much.

I know exactly what's going on, thank you very much. My fellow American posters on here are entitled to their own opinion when it comes to someone like Jozy playing for Sunderland - we're all Newcastle United supporters and want what is best for our club. Seriously, of all places our main striker for USA has to go, he goes to Sunderland and playing for PDC. You couldn't get any worse than that in a World Cup year when he's off the back of his best league form, and he's finally doing the business for the national side. Its a shit dilemma overall.

People who abuse anyone on twitter, let alone someone they don't know - like a public figure is the ultimate face-palm, some people need to get a damn life.

I maintain that he's (Jozy) absolutely dead to me unless he puts on the USA shirt, in which he must be a world beater capable of scoring loads of goals for the national team. Those of you who know me on here, for as long as i've been on here, will have already known my stance on that. I felt the same about Claudio Reyna, who was worthless to me during his spell at Sunderland, but is someone I highly rate overall. Hopefully Jozy's spell at Sunderland is short - based on my love for Newcastle United, I hope he has a horrible time at Sunderland where they absolutely fail as a club, Jozy does enough to get on the world cup roster, plays brilliantly, and then gets bought by a club I don't despise.

I'd love to sign a Capoue or better DM and not have to worry about Tiote. If Anita can develop his positioning and tackling then I'm okay with that. I don't really want Tiote anywhere near our 11 if I'm honest. Currently I'd honestly put Cabaye deep, Moussa as the dynamic box to box and Marv as the creator and call it from that. But I know tons on here will then go on and say Moussa is too attacking and not defensive and Cabaye can't play deeper but to me that's a midfield Dictating the game vs being reactive like our teams are far too often set up.

He's going to be brilliant for us this season. It'll work out.

Good security for us if true. Excited that he's a young tall lad who's first choice for the U-21s

Fwiw if puma gave us no spikes and full stripes in last years kit, so the virgin money logo simply was placed on top- it would have been one of our best in some time. With the collar and such. That inter kit is one of the best I've ever seen.

Fuck that, this is the right opinion...he plays for the Mackems now and is utterly worthless to me until he puts on my national team shirt and plays well in it.

Hate that he joined Sunderland.